Yes, I've been so busy with deadlines and projects and just being disorganized that I missed by scheduled Wednesday check-in.
Which is good, in some ways. Being busy. Although right now, with the gobs of books I picked up at the Half Price Books sale at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds last weekend -- everything was $2!!! -- I just want to take an entire day to curl up and read a book or two cover-to-cover. Maybe this weekend...
I'm delighted -- and relieved -- to report that I finished the next draft of SANCTUARY, the next scheduled book in the Guardians of the Time Stream series. I would dearly love to turn it in ahead of schedule, just because I have so many other things going on. Deadline is December 1 -- goal, November 15.
I made a little bit of progress in FIRST LAW, the next Commonwealth Universe novel, dealing with the Khybors as they develop brain-ships, at the point in history when they shift to being Leapers. I had one of those bad brainstorms this morning -- I realized that I might just be messing with the timeline of the Commonwealth and the history of First Civ .... so I have to go back through the books that have already been published and take notes and make sure I know what happens when and who is alive and what I've said in other books about the Downfall era. Yes, I know, I've been saying for years that I need to create a guidebook to the Commonwealth Universe, listing all the people and places and technology and events. The page on Commonwealth history on my website just gives an overview, and is what I've been working off for years. But here's the problem: as I WRITE the stories, I get a more detailed view of events and it's starting to get complicated.
More on that later.
Would anyone be interested in getting a copy of the Guidebook to the Commonwealth Universe if I ever put it together? You'd need to get regular updates ... hmm, maybe that can be something exclusive to Croo members, or at least people who check in on my website regularly .... Bribery!
Two big things happen in November!
An activity of Samaritan's Purse, Christmas Child involves filling shoeboxes or plastic boxes the size of shoeboxes, full of gifts for a child in a foreign country -- school supplies, hygiene supplies, toys -- to give them for Christmas and demonstrate the love of Christ. I have the best fun shopping for the boxes my Mom and I do every year. Here's a table-full of goodies for this year. I still have to get pads of paper. We already have toothbrushes and toothpaste, soap, pencils, crayons, stuffed animals, rubber balls, cinchsack backpacks, and more!
Check out Samaritan's Purse for info on Operation Christmas Child and consider putting together a few boxes, won't you? You'll be glad you did!
Second: NANOWRIMO
Otherwise known as National Novel Writing Month. When thousands of people around the world commit to write at least 50,000 words in the month of November.
This year I'm going to work on the next novel set in Neighborlee, Ohio. The Neighborlee books are published by Uncial Press. Right now we're gearing up for GROWING UP NEIGHBORLEE, told from Lanie Zephyr's point of view, to come out in April. You've met Lanie in other stories -- the newspaper reporter who does comedy on the side, has some "extra" talents, and sees life from doorknob level because of an accident where she broke her back. My NaNo project is GROWING UP NEIGHBORLEE: Book 2. It will end with the accident where Lanie breaks her back and proves she is definitely one of Neighborlee's guardians.
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